Dragon Advancement
Back to Dragons main page Dragon Advancement Dragons can advance one of three ways, something the dragon determines shortly after they hatch. Once they choose the way the wish to grow, they are locked into that method and cannot decide One, they can just grow older, receiving benefits as they grow in size and power with age. Choosing this way makes classes completely inaccessable to the dragon, they have only their ECL from their Hit Dice. Two, they gain combat experience in order to purposefully accelerate their growth, prompting the same benefits as aging without the actual age, but carries the risk of in some way messing up something, which could be anything, and those that gain power through this method must roll a d% to determine the chance of bad growth (anything 05 or below on this roll, rolled every level up. You add your luck modifier to this, but a roll of 1 still results in bad growth even if your luck modifier would make it higher than 5). Whenever they advance past the HD given for a category, they are treated as the next age category (e.g., a newly hatched average dragon is Level 1, and considered a wyrmling. Once he hits level 7, or 7 "hit dice" he is considered Young, and gains all the extra benefits that come with the category). If they would become old enough to advance past their current level, they do not recieve the aging benefit (e.g., an Average dragon that is level 8 becomes Young, which would mean they increase their "level" to 12, as well as recieve the other benefits, but since they chose this method, they simply stay level 8 and get nothing until they actually level to the required number, in this case 10). Three, they can choose to take Character Classes. If they choose this way, they don't get the Hit Dice from their age category, as well as a few other benefits. See that specific benefit for how taking character classes affects it. Dragon Type This is a d% chance roll. Players who want to play a dragon can reroll 3 times, and add their luck modifier if they so choose and have already rolled it. 1-19 = Weak 20-69 = Average 70-99 = Strong 100 = Legendary Special Abilities Inherently Magical - Dragons are inherently magical, and always are sensed as an overwhelming aura (raw magic), regardless of age or power level, when attempting to sense magic. The dragon may attempt to hide his aura with a DC 35 Concentration check. Success means that the dragon is percieved to have no personal aura, though the check must be made once every hour to continue the effect. Failure requires you to wait one hour before you can attempt to hide it again, and utter failure (lose the check by more than 15) makes it unhideable for 24 hours, and broadcasts the aura in a one-mile radius. Note that it is this ability that causes the most random of things to happen around dragons, such as causing a tomb to crystallize into pure diamond at a single touch. This is not under the control of the dragon, and if it is, it is often impulse or instinct that drove the action, not a concious decision to tap into the seemingly infinite amount of magic present in dragons. Draconic Senses - Dragons have extremely good senses, better than those of any other creature, with extremely few exceptions. This is a catch-all ability, containing Draconic Scent, Draconic Vision, and Total Blindsense. They are explained below. : Draconic Scent - Allows them to detect the general direction of things within 300 feet, and pinpoint things within 100 feet. Note that you won't notice if someone is sneaking up on you with this sense unless you make a successful Survival check versus their Survival check (you get a bonus on this check if actively searching the area or just concentrating on smelling). : Draconic Vision - Dragons see 8 times farther and more detailed than normal. : Total Blindsense - Allows them to detect and pinpoint things that make sound within 150 feet. Note that those succeeding Move Silently checks versus your Listen checks means you cannot sense them with Total Blindsense. Intimidating - Dragons, due to their large and powerful nature, can be rather intimidating to the average person, and gives any dragon an optional +5 to Intimidate per age category and +2 per character level/Hit Die. Elemental Immunity - Dragons are immune to the element of their breath weapon. Misc. - Dragons have a myriad of abilities that get better as they age/level, described below. Other Misc. - Dragons can choose a set of abilities, such as the Tricky "Blue Dragon" set that has sound imitation and Morph Terrain. Speed Weak - 40 feet Land, 150 feet Fly (poor) Average - 50 feet Land, 200 feet Fly (poor) Strong - 60 feet Land, 250 feet Fly (poor) Legendary - 80 feet Land, 300 feet Fly (poor) Skills If you take a character class, use these skills when leveling up if they are higher than the ones listed for the class. For example, if a Legendary advancing dragon takes the fighter class, rather than gain the fighter's 2+Int skill points upon leveling up, he would gain the 12+Int. normal for legendary dragons. Weak - 4+Int. Average - 6+Int. Strong - 8+Int. Legendary - 12+Int Feats Those taking character classes also gain these bonus feats regardless of class Weak - 1 bonus every 7 Hit Dice/Level Average - 1 bonus every 4 Hit Dice/Level Strong - 1 bonus every 2 Hit Dice/Level Legendary - 1 bonus every Hit Die/Level Dragons' Age Categories Wyrmling - 0-5 Very Young - 6-15 Young - 16-25 Juvenile - 26-50 Young Adult - 51-100 Adult - 101-200 Mature Adult - 201-400 Old - 401-600 Very Old - 601-800 Ancient - 801-1000 Wyrm - 1001-1200 Great Wyrm - 1201+ Virtual Age + Gain every 400 years, i.e., 1600 gains 1 VA, 2000 gains 1 more for 2 total, etc. Natural Attack Damage Breath weapon base damage/Rounds generation 'Weak' 1-55 = 1d6 56-99 = 2d4 100 = Roll on Average table. Average 1-30 = 1d12 31-70 = 2d6 71-99 = 2d8 100 = Roll on Strong table. 'Strong' 1-30 = 2d8 31-70 = 2d10 71-99 = 2d12 100 = Roll on Legendary table. 'Legendary' 1-29 = 2d12 30-69 = 3d8 70-99 = 3d12 100 = 5d12 Breath Weapon Type, Distance, and DC Dragons may have several varieties of breath weapon, ranging from Fire and Ice to Paralysis and Suggestion. Magic Weak and Average dragons can only learn spells from the Mage list, but Strong Dragons can also choose from the Cleric list. Legendary dragons can learn any spell from any list. Advancement - Weak Other Bonuses - Dragons with character classes do not get the Hit Dice, and their breath weapon damage is calculated off their level as if it were Hit Dice, similar to how a method two dragon figures everything. Base Attack - Weak dragons follow the 3/4 bonus, similar to clerics and rogues. Character class dragons use the base attack of their class. Saves - Weak dragons have average saves, meaning +1/2 Hit Dice, +2 at 1st HD. Character class dragons use these saves if they are higher than the ones in their class. Advancement - Average Attributes Other Bonuses - Dragons with character classes do not get the Hit Dice, and their breath weapon damage is calculated off their level as if it were Hit Dice, similar to how a method two dragon figures everything. Base Attack - +1/Hit Die. Character class dragons use the base attack of their class. Saves - Average Dragons have good saves, meaning they get +1/Hit Die, +3 at 1st HD. Character class dragons use these saves if they are higher than the ones in their class. Advancement - Strong Attributes Other Bonuses - Dragons with character classes do not get the Hit Dice, and their breath weapon damage is calculated off their level as if it were Hit Dice, similar to how a method two dragon figures everything. Base Attack - Strong dragons get +1 1/2 per Hit Die, meaning essentially +1 per Hit Die, and an extra +1 every even Hit Die, Character class dragons use the base attack of their class. Saves - Strong dragons have great saves, meaning they get +2/ Hit Die, +4 at 1st Hit Die. Character class dragons use these saves if they are higher than the ones in their class. Advancement - Legendary Attributes Other Bonuses - Dragons with character classes do not get the Hit Dice, and their breath weapon damage is calculated off their level as if it were Hit Dice, similar to how a method two dragon figures everything. Base Attack - Legenday dragons gain +2/Hit Die. Character class dragons use the base attack of their class. Saves - Legendary dragons have epic saves, meaning they get +3/Hit Die, and +5 at 1st Hit Die. Character class dragons use these saves if they are higher than the ones in their class.